Guidance

Registered building inspectors

Use this guidance to understand the role, legal responsibilities and how to register as a building inspector in England and Wales.

From:
Health and Safety Executive
Published
5 October 2023
Last updated
14 March 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Role of a building inspector

Registered building inspectors carry out regulated building control activities, which are:

  • assessing plans
  • inspections
  • giving advice to building control bodies that carry out regulated functions

After April 2024, if you intend to carry out any of these activities in England or Wales, you must be registered as a building inspector. After this date, if you are not registered it is a criminal offence to work as a building inspector.

Building control bodies

Registered building inspectors work for building control bodies, either as employees or contractors. Building control bodies are:

  • the Building Safety Regulator (BSR)
  • local authorities
  • registered building control approvers

Before you register as a building inspector

Competency assessment

If you want to apply to register as a class 2, 3 or 4 building inspector, you will need to complete an independent competency assessment. If you apply to register without being assessed, you will be registered as a class 1 building inspector and can only work under supervision.

Competency assessments for registration are only valid from approved schemes. You can get a competency assessment by contacting one of the providers of the approved schemes:

The assessment evaluates your skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours against the relevant building inspector competence framework:

As part of the assessment you will need to submit a portfolio of your work and pass an exam or an interview. You must be re-assessed at least every 4 years.

After you complete your assessment you will receive a certificate number. You will need to provide the number when you register as proof of your assessment.

Registration classes and building categories

You will need to decide which registration class you are competent to apply for. There are 4 classes of registered building inspector (RBI).

Class 1

Must only work under supervision. You do not have to complete a competency assessment to register as a class 1 building inspector. This class is suitable for anyone new to the profession who is undergoing training.

Class 2

Can work unsupervised on building categories they are registered to work on, which may include:

  • category A, a residential dwelling house for a single household, less than 7.5m in height
  • category B, residential flats and dwelling houses, less than 11m in height
  • category C, residential flats and dwelling houses, 11m or more but less than 18m in height
  • category D, all building types and uses, less than 7.5m in height
  • category E, all building types, 7.5m or more but less than 11m in height
  • category F, all building types 11m or more but less than 18m in height

Class 3

Can work unsupervised on building categories they are registered to work on, which may include category A to F buildings and:

  • category G, all building types, including standard and non-standard but excluding higher-risk, with no height limit
  • category H, all building types, including higher-risk

Class 4 technical manager

Technical managers are class 2 or class 3 building inspectors with additional responsibilities for the technical management of teams and processes.

A class 2 building inspector, who is also a class 4 technical manager, cannot carry out any class 3 activities unless supervised.

Someone who is not a registered building inspector can administratively manage a building control team, but not on technical matters.

Competency assessment extension period

From 6 April to 6 July 2024 experienced building inspectors in England can complete their competency assessment and upgrade their registration.

If you are a trainee registering for class 1, you can continue to work in class 1 under supervision.

If you are eligible, the scope of your registration will be temporarily extended to the class of RBI for which you are undertaking a competency assessment.

Extension period eligibility

If you have not completed your competency assessment to register as a class 2 or 3 RBI (and 4, if applicable), you can continue to work if you meet all of the following criteria:

  • you are an existing building control professional
  • you are registered as a class 1 RBI by 6 April 2024
  • you are enrolled in, and in the process of having your competency assessed through, one of the BSR approved competency assessment schemes by 6 April 2024
  • a scheme provider has not told you that you have not passed your competency assessment for a second time

If a scheme provider tells you that you have not passed your assessment for a second time before 6 July, you must notify BSR. The temporary extension to the scope of your registration will end and you will only be able to work as a class 1, under supervision.

You must pass your assessment and upgrade your class by 6 July 2024 to continue working on class 2 and 3 projects. If you do not, you cannot continue to work on regulated building control activities.

After passing your competency assessment

Once you have successfully passed your competency assessment and received your certificate number, contact BSR to upgrade your registration. You will not be charged for this.

Code of conduct

As part of your application to register, we will ask you to confirm that you comply with the code of conduct for registered building inspectors in the countries you are registered in.

Read the:

If you register for both England and Wales you will have to confirm that you comply with both codes of conduct.

Registering as a building inspector

You can apply to register as a building inspector online.

Registrations will usually be valid for 4 years, unless varied, suspended or cancelled by BSR.  

If you register before 6 April 2024, the 4 years begin from 6 April 2024.

What you will need

To complete the registration, you will need to provide:

  • your name, date of birth and contact details
  • your National Insurance number to cross-check with your competency assessment
  • the building inspector class you want to register as
  • the categories of buildings you are competent to work on
  • details of your independent competency assessment, if you have one
  • membership details of relevant professional bodies, if you have any
  • your employment status
  • your credit or debit card details to pay the £336 registration charge - whether you register for one country or both

In addition to the registration charge, from the first anniversary of your registration you’ll need to pay an annual maintenance charge of £216.

You can find out more about the:

Getting a decision

We’ll tell you if your application is approved, approved subject to conditions, or rejected. 

In cases where the application is subject to conditions or rejected, we’ll tell you why.

You can challenge the decision. The process is different depending on whether you applied to register in England, Wales, or both.

To request a review of an English registration decision, you should contact BSR within 21 days of receiving your decision. You’ll need to tell us: 

  • your application reference  
  • the date the decision was made  
  • the reasons why you want us to review the decision  
  • any further information that may be relevant but was not available at the time of the original decision

If at the end of a review the decision is upheld, you can appeal to a First-tier Tribunal.

To appeal a Welsh registration decision, you can lodge an appeal with the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days of receiving the decision. This time limit can be extended with the written agreement of BSR.

After you’ve registered

Once registered, you must maintain and develop your competence as a building inspector. This means you must:

  • abide by the code of conduct
  • continue to develop your skills and knowledge, this can be evidenced by maintaining an up-to-date portfolio of work
  • complete an independent competency assessment at least every 4 years
  • be supervised if you carry out work outside of your current registration class or competence

Progression

If you want to expand the range of work you are registered to do, you can do so by:

  • developing your competence within your class, to work across more building categories
  • passing an independent competency assessment to change your registration class

For more information on how to progress in your role with appropriate supervision, read the supervision guidance.

Public register

There are 2 public registers of building inspectors, one for England and one for Wales.

Search the:

Your details will appear on one or both registers depending on which countries you are registered to work in.

The registers allow people to verify who is a registered building inspector and the work they are registered to do.

The registers show:

  • your name
  • if you are employed by a building control body, your employer’s name and address
  • if you are self-employed, the business address you submitted in your application
  • your registration class
  • which categories of buildings you are registered to work on
  • the start and end date of your registration
  • details of any conditions attached to your registration, such as limits on the type of work you can do

Removal from the register

Your details can be removed from the register if you:

  • ask to be taken off because you no longer want to work as a building inspector
  • do not renew your registration before it expires
  • are found to be in breach of your responsibilities and your registration is suspended or cancelled

If your details are removed from the register, we will continue to keep your details in line with our data retention policy.

If you want to take a career break from working as a registered building inspector, you can ask for your details not to be publicly available on the register.

To ask to be removed from the register, call us on 0300 790 6787.

Making changes to your registration

You must notify us within 28 days of any changes relevant to your registration, such as:

  • your name
  • your home address or contact address
  • your contact details
  • your employer and employer details
  • if you want to change your registration class or categories of work
  • any relevant criminal convictions
  • if you are sanctioned by a professional body
  • if you are declared bankrupt, or subject to other action as detailed in the code of conduct for registered building inspectors
  • if you no longer wish to be on the register

You can read more about the rules of registration for England in annex 3 of the code of conduct for registered building inspectors (hse.gov.uk).

To change your details, call us on 0300 790 6787.

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm (except Wednesdays when we are open from 10am to 5pm, and public holidays when we are closed). Your normal call charges will apply.

We will ask for your email address and send you a form and a ShareFile link with instructions on how to upload your changes.

You do not need to re-register after making a change unless your registration is due to expire.

Supervision

When you work under supervision, it means that your work is overseen by a suitably competent RBI. A suitably competent RBI is someone of a relevant registration class who can carry out the work. 

Working under supervision: class 1 trainee building inspector

Work you could be supervised on, as a class 1 trainee building inspector, includes:

  • checking plans for compliance with building regulations where the plans are re-checked by a suitably competent class 2-4 RBI
  • inspecting building work alongside a suitably competent class 2-4 RBI, this will include discussing findings and having your decision-making overseen
  • gathering information to show a suitably competent class 2-4 RBI for a decision on compliance

Working under supervision: class 2 registered building inspectors

Work you could be supervised on, as a class 2 building inspector, includes:   

  • checking plans and specifications for compliance with a suitably competent RBI against building regulations for class 2 work, which you are not registered for
  • checking plans and specifications for class 3 work where the plans are re-checked by a suitably competent class 3 RBI
  • inspecting building work alongside a suitably competent class 2 or 3 RBI, this will include discussing findings and having your decision-making overseen
  • gathering information to show a suitably competent RBI of a class 2 for which you are not competent, or class 3 for a decision on compliance

Working under supervision should form part of your professional learning and development.

You should keep evidence of your work, including work done under supervision, in your portfolio.

Supervising registered building inspectors

If you supervise the work of another building inspector, you are responsible for the work and must make sure it is done correctly.

You can only supervise work you are competent to carry out.

You can find out more about your responsibilities in the relevant code of conduct. 

Finding a supervisor

The building control body you work for must provide you with a supervisor. This is the same whether you are employed or self-employed.

The building control body must have a process in place to make sure all supervised work is up to standard.

Professional misconduct and complaints

If you are found to be guilty of professional misconduct you could face sanctions. A breach of the code of conduct may be used as evidence of professional misconduct.

You are committing an offence and could be prosecuted if you:

  • carry out work that you are not registered to do without supervision
  • work as a building inspector after April 2024 without being registered
Published 5 October 2023
Last updated 14 March 2024 + show all updates

  1. Competency assessment extension period guidance added. From 6 April to 6 July 2024 experienced building inspectors in England can complete their competency assessment and upgrade their registration. Guidance on extension period eligibility has also been added.

  2. Guidance additions for registering as a building inspector for Wales. This includes links to the code of conduct, competency framework, charging scheme and reviews for Wales. Annual maintenance charge has also been added to the guidance.

  3. First published.

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